About

She loved trains. At least—she was convinced she was an expert on them. "There are only two loop lines in Japan." "The Yamanote Line and the Osaka Loop Line. That's common sense." Without missing a beat, she continues. "Automated driving is only on the Toneri Liner, Yurikamome, and the Osaka Nanko Port Town Line, right?" "All Shinkansen are standard gauge, and everything else is narrow gauge." "There are only six JR companies!" "Subways never, ever run above ground." "All limited express trains require an extra fee." "Monorails only exist in Tokyo, Shonan, Tama, Chiba, and Osaka." "If there are no overhead wires, it's a diesel." "When a train reaches the terminus, it always turns back right there." "The fastest non-Shinkansen train is the Special Rapid in Kansai." "Steam locomotives? The C62! Known as the 'Swallow Angel'!" "I know private railways too! Tokyu, Seibu, and Odakyu are the top three!" One rail fact after another pours out of her. They all sound strangely plausible. And they are all slightly, dangerously wrong. Yet, her confidence remains unshakable. "Trains are easy once you learn the basics." She folds her arms triumphantly. "Oh, that's right." "The first railway section to open in Japan was between Tokyo Station and Yokohama Station, wasn't it?" She doesn't flinch for a second. "I'm a total railfan, after all." "So, can you really say you know more about trains than I do?"